TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National Security Bureau Director General Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) has said the war in Ukraine cannot last long and expects early results from the conflict to emerge within several weeks.

Representatives from a number of government ministries presented a special report on the war in Ukraine to the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign and National Defense Committee on Tuesday (March 10), per CNA.

Responding to a question raised by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Shi-ing (蔡適應), Chen said: “Within half a month or one month, we will see a few preliminary results emerge.”

Tsai quoted a BBC report which outlined five possible final outcomes of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, asking whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Security Bureau have any predictions on the possible outcome.

Chen responded that there have been many predictions put out, including some by American think tanks the Atlantic Council and Brookings Institution. He said his bureau is considering what Putin’s strategy for ending the war may in order to estimate when hostilities may cease.

Chen added that if Putin does not achieve any concrete goals, he will probably be thrown from power after pulling back Russian forces, which makes it unlikely he will retreat. “But at the moment Russia’s military operations have stalled, which is why they have begun using weapons of mass destruction," he said.

Europe, the U.S, and China are attempting to mediate the conflict, Chen said, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signaled he is open to compromises. He added that Putin is going all in to try and prevail.

However, the intensity of such an assault cannot be sustained for a long period, he reiterated.